A horse, a blade and acres of open field: The quest for the perfect furrow

EAST CANAAN — There is one field in East Canaan that won’t need much tractor time this spring — not after a plow clinic held there Sunday, April 13, by the Northwestern Connecticut Draft Horse Association.

Around here, farmers don’t necessarily need a "clinic" to teach them how to make straight, narrow furrows. But when it comes to doing so without the aid of modern technology, well, that’s a different story. As is so often the case, those old-fashioned techniques were discarded and forgotten years ago. Now they’re being revived.

The sound of engines last Sunday was replaced by plow drivers calling out the names of the horses in their teams, as they worked together to plow a straight line.

It’s not as easy as it looks.

But it is easy to see why some folks are drawn (no pun intended) to the old-style farming, and to the large horse breeds that are such an essential part of the plan. Think Belgians, Clydesdales and Percherons.

Not only are they magnificent in their size and strength, but they are among the more docile equine breeds.

While resting between plowing demonstrations on Sunday, the horses got lots of attention. It’s hard to resist rubbing those big, handsome noses.

Plowing with a team of, typically, two or three horses is something farmers do primarily because it keeps alive what was once a vital skill.

Laura Freund and Karl Riva, who keep Percherons for plowing and driving at their East Canaan farm, helped organize Sunday’s event.

"It’s about hands-on learning for people who are experienced or new to it," Freund said. "We want to get more people interested and involved. We even have some high school kids here from Housy and Wamogo."

About eight teams took to the "fresh" field, despite rain during most of the clinic. They came from all over the state, with good representation from the Eastern Connecticut Draft Horse Association.

That group included Sam Rich, from Abington, a U.S. Plow Match champion.

Rich grew up on a dairy farm and currently plows 15 to 25 acres per year on his horse-drawn plow. It’s not much more than a seat and blades on wheels, but there are many details involved in the quest for the perfect furrow.

He held a small crowd rapt while he explained what it takes to plow a perfectly straight, uniformly deep, properly edged 150-foot furrow.

Before a competition, he spends about a half hour setting up his plow and team for an hour of plowing. That hour often includes minute adjustments made along the way, in response to things such as soil conditions.

"There are a lot of things to look for," Rich said. "People who are used to tractors think they can do it, but they are so far removed from real, hands-on plowing they don’t even know what to look for."

Any farmers or would-be farmers interested in learning more about plowing a field the old-fashioned way can contact the Northwest Connecticut Draft Horse Association; on the Web, go to northwestctdrafthorse.com. Owning a horse (or a farm) is not a requirement of club membership.